Guardian

Chapter 23

I watched as Jason disappered into the black forest. The shadow dogs surrounded me on all sides, the guards pointing their guns at me in case I made a move. I couldn't have even if I wanted to, I was completely exhausted of energy.

"Where is he?" Steros demanded.

I didn't even look at him, I just clutched the grass in my claws. I heard a soft thump as he got off the lead shadow dog, and walked towards me. A pair of shoes stood in front of my face, only then did I look up at the face of the man I hated most. Steros stared down at me blankly, as I bared my teeth in a low growl.

"Where is he?" Steros asked again.

I refused to say a word, and instead gave him a cold glare.

Steros huffed and turned to the men next to him. "You two track the boy. He can't be far. Report back immediatly when you find him."

They nodded and hopped on the backs of their shadow dogs.

I tried to push myself up, but let out a yowl of pain as I was shocked again. I fell to ground again as I grabbed my chest. My vision started to blur and I couldn't breath! I started to panic and struggled to catch my breath! Suddenly, Steros kicked me hard in the chest and I started coughing violently! I coughed up an almost black liquid onto the grass. I stared down at it with wide eyes. It wasn't blood...

Lifting a trembling hand to my face, I wiped the liquid from my lips and stared down at it. This...this isn't blood...

This is...This is me, my core...I just coughed up a part of my core! The thing that keeps me together!

I clutched my chest as my breathing grew faster as my panic rose. Everything was spinning, I could faintly hear Steros giving orders to his men. This was a terrible idea from the start. If this keeps up, how am I going to protect Jason if I can't keep myself in one piece outside of the shadows?

No, it was a risk but a risk you chose to take. Snap out of it, Dark! Fight back!

I focused on the darkness around me and started to meld into the shadows. Suddenly, a spotlight shone down on me and I hissed at the sudden brightness that made the shadows disappear!

"Subject 134 is weak, keep the light on him. Give him another dose. Subjects 155 and 167, carry."

I felt another small shock as the world started to blacken. I felt myself lifted off the ground before passing out.

.....

Jason....

I can feel him...Why is he scared? Nobody will hurt my little human!

I'm here, Jason, can't you feel me? Use me, use my power!

I opened my eyes a sliver to see that I was in a cage, flying above the mountains. Too weak to move, I prayed to a god I doubt exists that Jason got my messege.

I closed my eyes again and drifted back into a dreamless sleep....

"....134...134...Subject 134, get up!"

I flinched as another jolt coursed through me. I groaned in pain as I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. Hissing at the blinding light, I moved to cover my face but found my reach restricted. As my vision adjusted, I saw that I had metal cuffs on my wrists that had incredibly thick wires connected to the wall.

"Well, that's new," I mumbled.

"It seems things are new with you as well, Dark."

Hearing Steros say my name instead of my number was certainly a shock, but I realized that I had not heard the usual static of the intercom when he said it. I looked to my right to see Steros standing with his hands in his coat pockets inside my white prison.

In a fit of anger, I tried to lunge at the man but my restraints held me back which caused my feet to slip and make me fall flat on my face. Steros chuckled at my pain and walked to the point where he was just out of reach. I sneered up at him as he started to walk around me. I shifted up onto my knees to keep him in sight.

"Do you even know what you have done?" he asked.

"Do you, Steros?" My voice came out raspy, as if I hadn't used it in a while.

Steros stopped walking, but was silent. I then asked, "How long was I out?"

"Almost 48 hours," he replied, "you should be thankful, 134, I mean...Dark."

I noticed my hands were trembling and quickly balled them into fists in my lap. "And why is that?"

"If my shadow dogs hadn't gotten to Jason, he would have frozen to death on that mountain. We found him out cold, along with two of my men," He turned to look me in the eye again, "Care to explain how that was possible?"

I didn't respond and instead asked my own question, "Where are you holding him?"

Steros strolled back to the other side of the room, "Oh don't worry about him, my friend. I do not intend to harm him yet," his cold grey eyes looked me over once more, "I'd worry about yourself."

A door appeared and slid open. I watched Steros walk through, but the door closed before he turned back around. I was left in my white prison box, chained and alone, with the ominous words of Darren Steros echoing in my mind.

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I am so sorry this took me so long to write, and it's not even that long of a chapter! I was kind of at a stand still with this, trying to decide which idea made more sense, where it's going to go from here. I'm still not sure if I got my point across clear enough in this so please, if you have any questions I will answer them the best I can without spoiling anything.
To those who have commented, thank you, it really means a lot to me! And those silent readers out there, thank you for reading up to this point as well! I hope you all continue to enjoy the characters and the story as much as I do!